Over here in NY state everyone is thinking about gay marriage. I'm not. I'm thinking about animal marriage, since that's obviously next on the agenda since we already solved the gay marriage issue.

The question of animal divorce should not be sniffed at. If animals can marry, should they be able to divorce? If a lion marries a hippo, should they decide that "irreconcilable differences" prevent a true union of souls? I think not. At least if I were the Pope of such unions it would be rare that I would grant a divorce. The animals might yowl and snip at one another, but I think they would work it out, eventually. So, yes to animal marriage. No to animal divorce.

The best cheese curds come from the Cheese Curd Capitol of WI: Ellsworth.

http://www.ellsworthcheesecurds.com/

Cajun flavored curds are my favorite. I add them to chili for extra seasoning, but the curd retains it shape and doesn't get stringy.

No protesters at this capitol, but there is a political scandal with the Dem running in the upcoming recall election of our R state senator. Seems she used her Ellsworth school email account for political purposes putting her at odds with school district policy. oops....

Sipping my coffee, I clicked over to the "Isthmus" and saw Miss Emily's promise to deliver a follow up to her Althouse hit-piece. Excellent. I've got a bunch of crap to do this morning, but I'm looking forward to whatever it is she produces. Odds on it being anything other than a self-serving and dishonest re-write of her original mess? 75:1

While processing mail the other night, I had a mailing from Wendy's, advertising their new premium dipping sauces for French fries: Creamy malt vinegar and jalapeno ketchup. My thought was, "How can you improve on perfection? French fries and tomato ketchup is one thing that our Founding Fathers got right."

I finally looked up the Thomas Ball story that people were mentioning and read his final letter. Yow! As someone who supports strengthening fathers' rights, I can only hope that the media continues to ignore that story. That guy makes an incredibly poor poster boy for a cause.

Of all the condiment choices I've ever seen, one stands out. Sitting with some buddies at a Beerfest/Marketplatz in SW Germany, a smoking hot lass sat down at our picnic table. Sweet, right? Until she dragged her french fries through a big bowl of mayonnaise and chowed down. I almost lost my lunch, and her hotness completely vanished.

Freeman, I felt bad that Thomas Ball felt so mariginalized and alone that he felt compelled to do such a horrific act. I am glad he did not hurt anyone physically in the process, although he certainly severely hurt his family emotionally by doing that. Modeling your behavior on North African politics is generally not a good idea here in the United States.

While there is a kernel of truth that family courts can be cavalier with father's rights (and I am assuming he made a few bad mistakes that snowballed out of control against him), it is never a good idea to make a political statement with suicide.

I think the salient point re Thomas Ball is that, if a woman had done it, we'd be talking about how society needed to change.

But I think that would be stupid.

Based on Ball's on letter:(1) His four year old daughter won't quit licking his hand one night while he's putting her to bed. He tells her to knock it off three times. She doesn't. So he slaps her across the face so hard that it cuts her lip. (I've seen people elsewhere try to argue that that is normal. That is NOT normal.)(2) Wife calls the police. Because she did this, he wants nothing to do with her and gets a divorce. By his own description he does absolutely nothing to repair his marriage. He never even asks why she called until after they're divorced.(3) Family court says that he can be reunited with his children if he goes to the counselor, who they expect he'll only have to see once or twice. (Obviously they just want someone to say, "No, he's not a danger," before they give his kids back. He refuses. He doesn't think he should have to go, so he won't. No matter what.(4) He repeatedly calls on other men to commit arson against his various state enemies and offers instructions on how to make and use Molotov cocktails.(5) He commits suicide in a public and gruesome fashion.

And that's all according to his own letter without even hearing the other side!

Father fail. Big time. He's an icon of nothing.

He wasn't isolated or screwed over. He just thought his pride was more important than having to work with or comply with anyone else. Apparently his pride was so important that he smacked a four year old in the mouth for not minding him concerning a mildly annoying but not dangerous behavior.

I'd take any of the probably thousands of men of character who have been screwed over by the family court over that egomaniac.